Planning consent granted for 3 Arena Central

Arena Central Developments has secured planning consent for the third building at its landmark Birmingham city centre development.

Birmingham City Council approved plans submitted by Arena Central Developments Limited (ACDL) for the brand new 240,782 sq ft, 3 Arena Central. Situated at the centre of the island site, the 14 storey 3 Arena Central will include 233,165 sq ft of high quality offices with 3,148 sq ft of ancillary retail on the ground floor.

Targeted to achieve EPC A and BREEAM Excellent standards 3 Arena Central has been designed by leading architectural practice Make and will feature office floorplates of between 12,279 sq ft and 17,957 sq ft on the upper floors, with a ground floor suite of 5,406 sq ft.  Secure car parking and cycle storage facilities will be available over three basement levels.

The building will be clad in a geometric pattern of hexagonal metal panels, with a double-height colonnade along the northern face opening directly onto the site’s main public square, Bank Court.

Arena Central is being delivered by ACDL, a joint venture led by Miller Developments.

Andrew Sutherland, ACDL and Miller Developments, said: “Birmingham’s office market continues to play a key role in the city’s growth as an inward investment destination and we feel a huge level of confidence in this city, which has acquitted itself fantastically over the last few years and has built a solid reputation as a centre of business and culture.

“By securing consent at this early stage we can begin delivery of the building as soon as an occupier is secured, reducing the lead-in time and potentially looking at delivery by the first quarter of 2019.

“Having already secured one blue-chip occupier in the form of HSBC, we are confident that the combination of the city’s reputation and the quality of the assets that we have on offer will continue to play a significant role in ensuring the ongoing success of Arena Central and Birmingham on a national and global scale.”

Adjacent to Centenary Square and the Library of Birmingham and framed by Broad Street, Holliday Street, Bridge Street and Suffolk Street Queensway, Arena Central is a key commercial development for Birmingham.

The site has outline consent in place for over 1 million sq ft of commercial space, including the 135,000 sq ft 1 Arena Central and 210,000 sq ft 2 Arena Central, the building selected by HSBC for the headquarters of its new ringfenced banking division, which will reach practical completion in 2017.

Just a few minutes’ walk from New Street Station and the Grand Central shopping centre, connectivity at Arena Central will receive a further boost from the extension to the Midlands Metro tram, which will include a stop on Broad Street, adjacent to the site.

Arena Central benefits from simplified planning and reduced business rates and forms a significant part of the city’s vision for regeneration.